Happy Friday to everyone! And to those of you socked under in snow you have my deepest sympathy. The March giveaway ended today and using the most stringent scientific standards (wrote each name on piece of paper, put in bowl and let husband pick one) we have a winner: Elaine Taylor! Elaine, I'll email you shortly to get your mailing address. Congratulations! Thank you to ... Read More...
The True Secret of Writing: Connecting Life with Language
Thus, sitting, walking, writing, are all moments of practice. The quietest, deepest sits I’ve experienced have included writing. The writing helps to empty and settle the mind. We then can sink into a quiet pool, into silence, out of which all of those tumultuous thoughts were created in the first place. This is from the introduction of Natalie Goldberg’s new book The ... Read More...
The Blue Book
A cruise from Southampton to NYC in January. The location sets the tone for The Blue Book. Crashing, icy seas and gusting winds mesh well with the juxtaposition of a woman on board with her boyfriend who discovers her old partner in crime (literally) is on board as well. A setting that should be one of enjoyment, relaxation and companionship is instead filled with angst, ... Read More...
Friendfluence: The Surprising Ways Friends Make Us Who We Are
We tend to think all of our traits and life decisions can be traced back to our genes or the influence of our parents or partners, but it has become increasingly clear that our peers are stealth sculptors of everything from our basic linguistic habits to our highest aspirations. Friendfluence is a well-researched but readable look at what many consider to be the most ... Read More...
Annie Bloom’s Event: Amanda Coplin
Monday night I had the pleasure of listening to Amanda Coplin discuss her extraordinary debut novel, The Orchardist, which I reviewed last week. It is one of those books that strain my credibility as a critic because I am overcome with hyperbole. Thankfully, I stopped short of drawing comparisons between her work and Wallace Stegner’s Angle of Repose (I just thought it). OK, ... Read More...
The Abundance
In Amit Majmudar’s The Abundance, an Indian-American mother is dying of cancer and trying to decide when to tell her children. The holidays are approaching and she fears her news will obliterate the season’s happiness but she is far enough along that there is no way to mask her weight loss and pallor. As her children arrive with their families and she struggles to maintain ... Read More...
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